Betrayed by those they trusted

This is especially true when it is a parent, friend, or mentor who betrays the child’s trust.

The magnitude of child abuse by parents can be seen from the flood of phone calls received by a hot line after the broadcast of a program called “Scared Silent: Exposing and Ending Child Abuse.”

The talk-show was hosted by the famous Oprah Winfrey in the United States.

The most shocking crisis calls were from young children, calling in fear, wanting to escape the pain of physical or sexual abuse,” noted executive producer Arnold Shapiro, as quoted in the journal Children Today.

This event did much to dispel the notion that child abusers are big scary strangers.

The fact is that “the vast majority of abuse is perpetrated by parents and other close relatives,” concludes Shapiro.

Other research confirms this finding and also indicates that trusted family friends have at times groomed the child and family for later, well-planned abuse of the child.

Incest is the most shocking betrayal of trust.

Sexual abuse by pedophiles is another threat to children throughout the world.Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice gives this definition:

Paedophilia refers to sexual attraction towards the very young. . . . Paedophilia invariably involves the commission of crimes such as sexual assault, indecency and offences relating to child pornography.”

Sickening reports of pedophile rings, which greedily exploit children sexually, are flooding in from all over the world.

Some months ago, in one of the largest undercover sting efforts ever carried out against Internet child pornography, police in 12 countries raided the homes of more than 100 suspected pedophiles.

From just one pedophile ring based in the United States, they recovered over 100,000 pornographic images of children.

A British detective who coordinated the five-month Internet investigation states:“The content would absolutely turn the stomach of any right-minded person.”

Children were of both sexes, some as young as two years of age.

Police said that the Internet images were;

“the most revolting depictions of child porno. . . . It went so far that people abused their own children to be able to present the most striking material.”

One man kept photos of himself raping his niece and entered these in his computer.

Suspects included teachers, a scientist, a law student, a medical student, a scoutmaster, an accountant, and a university professor.

The victims are both young boys and young girls.

Lured by unscrupulous men, they are sexually abused and then threatened or lavishly spoiled to encourage them to remain with the “club.”

The men who plan and perform these vile acts are often prominent leaders of the community and sometimes do so with the full knowledge and protection of the police and the judiciary.

Sexual abuse of children by clergymen is also causing outrage.

News reports from all over the world reveal the extent of child abuse by clergymen, sometimes even in the name of God.